Guest guest Posted August 13, 2004 Report Share Posted August 13, 2004 This message was forwarded to you by yitzeling. Comment from sender: This article is from The Star Online URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/8/9/nation/8329842 & sec=nation ________________________ Monday August 9, 2004 Sea cucumber over harvested BY TEOH TEIK HOONG LUMUT: Unregulated harvesting of sea cucumber and the destruction of its habitat are contributing to its dwindling numbers in Malaysian waters, an academician said. Known as hoisam by the Chinese and gamat by the Malays, the sea cucumber is a much sought-after commodity, either as a delicacy or for its therapeutic qualities. According to International Islamic University Malaysia's Assoc Prof Dr Ridzwan Hashim, the harvesting of sea cucumber is carried out throughout the year. “Harvesting of sea cucumber is done even during its breeding season which is normally between April to June and August to October. “The sea cucumber does not even have time to replenish its population,” said Dr Ridzwan, who is the local authority on sea cucumber. The sea cucumber, also known in Sabah as bat, balat or trepang, is used in traditional treatment. Dr Ridzwan said the only “reprieve” the animal had was during the monsoon season as the seas were too choppy for fishermen to go out to harvest them. Earlier this year, Fisheries Department research officer Zaidnuddin Ilias had said the population of sea cucumber in Langkawi had dropped mainly due to over-harvesting and pollution. Zaidnuddin said that because of the low population of sea cucumber in Langkawi, locals had resorted to importing their supplies from Thailand. Dr Ridzwan said another factor affecting the animal's population was the destruction of corals that act as shelter and feeding ground for most species of sea cucumber. “Sea cucumbers live in areas where sunlight can reach the corals, especially where stag horn corals are found. They feed on the plankton and algae around these corals. “Unfortunately, in the search for sea cucumbers, many people turn over and destroy corals,” he said. The sea cucumber is harvested for two purposes & #8211; water extracts (coelomic fluid) or lipid extract (taken from the animal's body wall), according to Dr Ridzwan. He said only the mature animals should be removed to extract the fluid, which is done by making an incision on its ventral side and letting the fluid out. “After this, the sea cucumber can be placed back into the sea for them to heal themselves. By doing so, we will have a sustainable supply of sea cucumber,” he said. Dr Ridzwan said the gamat's fluid and the oil contain different bioactive ingredients, minerals, proteins and other things that many users claim have been good for their health. <p> ________________________ Your one-stop information portal: The Star Online http://thestar.com.my http://biz.thestar.com.my http://classifieds.thestar.com.my http://cards.thestar.com.my http://search.thestar.com.my http://star-motoring.com http://star-space.com http://star-jobs.com http://star-ecentral.com http://star-techcentral.com 1995-2003 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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